Visa requirements for Chinese citizens

Administrative entry restrictions From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Visa requirements for Chinese citizens

Visa requirements for Chinese citizens are administrative entry restrictions imposed on citizens of China who hold Mainland passport by the authorities of other states.

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An ordinary Chinese passport

As of 2025, Chinese citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 85 countries and territories, ranking the Chinese passport 60th in the world according to the Henley Passport Index.[1]

Historical perspective

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Perspective

Before February 2014, Chinese immigration authorities did not generally allow mainland Chinese citizens to board cruise ships, flights, or go through land border crossings to other countries without having a valid visa for the destination country. This policy applied even if the destination country did not require a visa, or granted a visa on arrival to Chinese passport holders, unless the exit was approved by the Ministry of Public Security.

Exceptions were possible if the traveller had a third country's visa and a connecting flight from the initial destination country to the third country. As of 10 June 2017, if the destination is a visa-on-arrival or e-visa issuing country this approval is no longer needed.[citation needed]

Visa requirements for Chinese citizens were lifted by:

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Visas on arrival were introduced by:

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Chinese citizens were made eligible for eVisas by:

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Chinese citizens were made eligible for Electronic Travel Authorization by:

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Visa requirements map

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Visa requirements map for Chinese citizens with an ordinary Chinese passport
  Mainland China
  May enter with Entry–Exit Permit for Hong Kong SAR or Macau SAR
  Visa not required
  Visa available both on arrival or online
  Visa on arrival
  eVisa
  Visa required in advance
  Visa highly possibly refused
  Tourism admission restricted

Visa requirements

More information Country / Region, Allowed stay ...
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Dependent, disputed, or restricted territories

Unrecognized or partially recognized countries
More information Territory, Conditions of access ...
Territory Conditions of access Notes
 Abkhazia Visa required[174]
 Kosovo Visa required[175] Visa is not required for holders of a valid travel documents issued by EU Member and Schengen States, United States of America, Canada, Australia and Japan based on the 1951 Convention on Refugee Status or the 1954 Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons, as well as holders of valid travel documents for foreigners (max. 15 days stay) [176]
  • Do not need a visa a holder of a valid biometric residence permit issued by one of the Schengen member states or a valid multi-entry Schengen Visa, a holder of a valid Laissez-Passer issued by United Nations Organizations, NATO, OSCE, Council of Europe or European Union a holder of a valid travel documents issued by EU Member and Schengen States, United States of America, Canada, Australia and Japan based on the 1951 Convention on Refugee Status or the 1954 Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons, as well as holders of valid travel documents for foreigners (max. 15 days stay)[177]
 Northern Cyprus Visa not required[178]
 Palestine Visa not required[23] Arrival by sea to Gaza Strip not allowed.[179]
 Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic Undefined visa regime in the Western Sahara controlled territory.
 Somaliland Visa on arrival 30 days for USD 30, payable on arrival.[180][181]
 South Ossetia Visa not required[182][183]
 Transnistria Visa not required[184] Registration required after 24h.[185][186]
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Dependent and autonomous territories
More information Territory, Conditions of access ...
Territory Conditions of access Notes
Denmark
 Faroe Islands Visa required[187]
 Greenland Visa required[187]
France
 Clipperton Island Special permit required[188]
 French Guiana Visa required[23]
 French Polynesia Conditional visa waiver[23] 15 days, need to travel with specific agencies
 Guadeloupe Visa required[189] Visa not required of cruise ship passengers during the period of the stopover if hold residence permit issued by EU / EEA country, Switzerland, Canada, Japan or USA[190]
 Martinique Visa required
 Saint Barthélemy Visa required
 Saint Martin Visa required
 Mayotte Visa required[23][189]
 New Caledonia Conditional visa waiver[23][191] 15 days, need to travel with specific agencies
 Réunion Conditional visa waiver[23] 15 days, need to travel with specific agencies
 Saint Pierre and Miquelon Visa required[23][189] Holders of a Canadian photo ID (e.g. a driver's licence, health card, student card, or permanent resident card), traveling directly from Canada, do not require a visa.[192]
 Wallis and Futuna Visa required[193]
Netherlands
 Aruba Visa required[23] Holders of a valid visa issued by a Canada, US or Schengen Member State (‘C’ or ‘D’ visa) do not require a visa for 90 days for each territory.
 Bonaire Visa required[23] Holders of a valid visa issued by a Canada, US or Schengen Member State (‘C’ or ‘D’ visa) do not require a visa for 90 days for each territory.
 Sint Eustatius Visa required Holders of a valid visa issued by a Canada, US or Schengen Member State (‘C’ or ‘D’ visa) do not require a visa for 90 days for each territory.
 Saba Visa required Holders of a valid visa issued by a Canada, US or Schengen Member State (‘C’ or ‘D’ visa) do not require a visa for 90 days for each territory.
 Curaçao Visa required[23] Holders of a valid visa issued by a Canada, US or Schengen Member State (‘C’ or ‘D’ visa) do not require a visa for 90 days for each territory.
 Sint Maarten Visa required[23] Holders of a valid visa issued by a Canada, US or Schengen Member State (‘C’ or ‘D’ visa) do not require a visa for 90 days for each territory.
New Zealand
 Cook Islands Visa not required[23] 31 days
 Niue Visa not required[23] 30 days
 Tokelau Permit required[194]
Norway
Norway Jan Mayen Permit required Permit issued by the local police required for staying for less than 24 hours[195] and permit issued by the Norwegian police for staying for more than 24 hours.[196]
Norway Svalbard Visa not required Unlimited period under Svalbard Treaty.[197]
United Kingdom
 Akrotiri and Dhekelia Visa required[198]
 Anguilla Visa required[23][199] Visa not required with a valid visa or residence permit from the United States, Canada or the United Kingdom.
 Bermuda Visa required[23] Holders of a multiple-entry visa issued by Canada, US or the UK is valid for at least 45 days beyond the period of intended stay in Bermuda do not require a visa for three months. Visa free for a maximum stay of three months if transiting through the United Kingdom.
 British Indian Ocean Territory Special permit required[200]
 British Virgin Islands Visa not required[23] 6 months for business and tourism purposes[201][202]
 Cayman Islands Visa required[23] Visa free for cruise ship passengers leaving on the day of arrival.[203] Visa not required for 30 days for holders of a valid multiple-entry visa for the US, UK and/or Canada.[204]
 Falkland Islands Visa required[23]
 Gibraltar Visa required[23] Holders of a valid visa issued by the United Kingdom do not require a visa.
Visa not required if holding a Schengen multiple entry visa with a minimum remaining validity of 7 days or visiting on a day trip as part of an organised tour arranged through a Gibraltar-based tour operator.
 Montserrat eVisa[23]
 Pitcairn Islands Visa not required 14 days visa free and landing fee USD 35 or tax of USD 5 if not going ashore.[205][206][207]
 Saint Helena eVisa[208][209]
 Ascension Island Admission refused[210][211] From May 2015 Ascension Island Government does not issue entry visas including eVisas to nationals of China.[212]
 Tristan da Cunha Permission required Permission to land required for 15/30 pounds sterling (yacht/ship passenger) for Tristan da Cunha Island or 20 pounds sterling for Gough Island, Inaccessible Island or Nightingale Islands.[213]
 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Permit required Pre-arrival permit from the Commissioner required (72 hours/1 month for 110/160 pounds sterling).[214][215]
 Turks and Caicos Islands Visa not required[23] 90 days[216]
United States
 American Samoa Entry permit required[23]
 Guam Visa required[23]
 Northern Mariana Islands Visa not required[23] 14 days
 Puerto Rico Visa required[23]
 U.S. Virgin Islands Visa required[23]
Antarctica and adjacent islands
Special permits required for  Bouvet Island,  British Antarctic Territory,  French Southern and Antarctic Lands,  Argentine Antarctica, Australia Australian Antarctic Territory, Antártica Chilena Province Chilean Antarctic Territory, Australia Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Norway Peter I Island, Norway Queen Maud Land, New Zealand Ross Dependency.[217][218][219][220][221][222][223][224][225][226][227][228]
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Other Territories

Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan

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Hong Kong and Macau SARs

  • Rather than passports, Chinese citizens from mainland China are required to travel to Hong Kong and Macau with an in-lieu travel document named Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macau (EEP-HKMO) to align with the position that Hong Kong and Macau are Chinese territories rather than foreign. EEP holders must apply for an endorsement which serves as both the exit permission from mainland China and the de facto visa for Hong Kong or Macau. EEP holders without an endorsement shall be prohibited from departing from mainland China. It is the Immigration in mainland China rather than that in Hong Kong and Macau that is responsible for issuing endorsements.[261]
  • Chinese passport holders intending to transit via Hong Kong or Macao between mainland China and a foreign third place may travel directly with their Chinese passport without applying for EEP and an endorsement. They are eligible for stay up to 7 days without a (de facto) visa.[261]
  • Chinese passport holders residing abroad on a long-term basis may apply for a sticker-style HKSAR entry permit [zh] at Chinese missions abroad. The sticker shall allow up to (1) two entries within three months, 30 days stay for each entry; or (2) multiple entries within two years, 14 days stay for each entry.[262] However, there is no similar sticker for Macao.
More information Regions, Travel with in-lieu travel documents ...
Regions Travel with in-lieu travel documents Travel with Chinese passport from mainland China or overseas
 Hong Kong EEP-HKMO and endorsement required.[261] * Transit between mainland China and a foreign third place for up to 7 days without EEP-HKMO or endorsement.
* May enter for 14 or 30 days if in possession of sticker-style entry permit.
 Macau EEP-HKMO and endorsement required.[261] Transit between Mainland China and a foreign third place for up to 7 days without EEP-HKMO or endorsement.
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Taiwan

Taiwan and mainland China have been under separated governance since 1949, respectively ruled by the Government of the Republic of China and the Government of the People's Republic of China due to the Chinese Civil War. Even though neither party regards the people of the other as foreigner, movement of people between mainland China and Taiwan is subject to immigration restrictions impose by both parties, either for immigrants or visitors. Chinese Mainlanders are subject to Taiwan immigration requirements, and are also subject to Mainland exit permission requirements if they are boarding a ferry or flight directly heading to Taiwan departing from the Mainland.

Exit-related restrictions include:

  • Rather than Chinese passports, Chinese Government requires Mainlanders to travel to Taiwan with an in-lieu travel document named Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Taiwan (EEP-TW) to align with its sovereignty claim over Taiwan.
  • EEP-TW holders requires an endorsement (exit permission) or they will be refused exit from mainland China.
  • Chinese passport holders intending to transit via Taiwan between mainland China and a foreign third place but without an endorsed EEP-TW are usually refused exit, unless they depart from Taiwan Transit Pilot Program cities: Chongqing, Nanchang, and Kunming.[263]

Entry-related restrictions include:

  • Chinese Mainlanders need Exit & Entry Permit for Taiwan, Republic of China (hereinafter the "Permit") issued by Taiwan Immigration or they will be refused entry. The Permit, when produced, shall be accompanied by a mainland China travel document, either the Chinese passport or EEP-TW, as the case may be.
  • For Mainlanders residing in the Mainland and applying for the Permit for the purpose of tourism, it's the policy of Taiwan Immigration that the Permit shall not be issued without a valid exit-permission issued by mainland China Immigration.[264] As the Mainland Immigration suspended issuance of such exit-permission since 2019, and the Taiwan Immigration suspended the issuance of the Permit accordingly, Mainlanders residing in Mainland may not travel to Taiwan for the tourism purpose for now.
  • Chinese passport holders residing in Hong Kong, Macau or a foreign place on a long-term basis may apply directly to the Taiwan Immigration for a Permit. They do not need an EEP-TW or an endorcement (exit permission) to apply for the Permit, and may travel to Taiwan directly from a place other than mainland China.
More information Travel with in-lieu travel documents, Travel with Chinese passport from mainland China ...
Travel with in-lieu travel documents Travel with Chinese passport from mainland China Travel with Chinese passport from overseas
  • EEP-TW (in-lieu travel document) required, endorcement (exit permission) required.
  • Issuance of endorcement (exit permission) for tourism purpose for mainland Chinese residents residing in mainland China remains suspended.
  • Exit & Entry Permit Taiwan required except for airside transit.[23]
  • Exit from China usually refused except for transit through Taiwan departing from certain cities.
  • EEP-TW and endorcement (exit permission) not required if transiting via Taiwan between mainland China and a foreign third place, and departing from the Mainland cities of Chongqing, Kunming or Nanchang.
  • Exit & Entry Permit is not required when transiting through sterile area of a Taiwanese airport on the same calendar day.
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  • For tourists residing overseas (including Hong Kong and Macau) since September 1, 2023, and medical, business and student purpose permit issuance has been resumed earlier.

Non-ordinary passports

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Visa requirements for Chinese citizens holding diplomatic or service passports based on bilateral agreements
  People's Republic of China
  Visa-free for holders of both diplomatic and service passports
  Visa-free for holders of diplomatic passports only

Holders of Chinese diplomatic or official / service passports may enter the following countries without a visa.

Diplomatic passports only

O - Official passports are limited to those traveling with a delegation of ministerial level or higher.

Diplomatic and official / service passports

APEC Business Travel Card

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  Full members of the scheme
  Transitional members (United States, Canada)

Holders of an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) travelling on business do not require a visa to the following countries:[265]

1 - Up to 180 days
2 - Up to 90 days
3 - Up to 90 days in a period of 180 days
4 - Up to 60 days

The card must be used in conjunction with a passport and has the following advantages:[266]

  • No need to apply for a visa or entry permit to APEC countries, as the card is treated as such (except by Canada and United States)
  • Undertake legitimate business in participating economies
  • Expedited border crossing in all member economies, including transitional members
  • The rule is not available among the CHN, HKG, TWN travellers on business

Exit and Entry Permit

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A sample of the personal info page of the Entry and Exit Permit for Border Tourism

In addition to passports, Exit and Entry Permit were issued to citizens of the People's Republic of China for visiting certain land neighboring countries for trade, tourism purposes without a passport, and visa to the country of visiting and vice versa under the bilateral agreements.[267]
Such permit is issued by the police stations in the related border administrative divisions. By far, travelers from the administrative divisions that share borders with North Korea, Mongolia, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, India and Nepal could apply for the Exit-Entry Permit for crossing borders.[268]

Non-visa restrictions

Blank passport pages

Many countries require a minimum number of blank pages to be available in the passport being presented, typically one or two pages.[269] Endorsement pages, which often appear after the visa pages, are not counted as being valid or available.

Vaccination

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Cover of the new International Certificate of Vaccination issued by the Bureau of Quarantine in the Philippines since 2021

Many African countries, including Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo, South Sudan, Uganda, and Zambia, require all incoming passengers older than nine months to one year[270] to have a current International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis, as does the South American territory of French Guiana.[271]

Some other countries require vaccination only if the passenger is coming from an infected area or has visited one recently or has transited for 12 hours in those countries: Algeria, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Lesotho, Libya, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.[272][273]

Passport validity length

Very few countries, such as Paraguay, just require a valid passport on arrival.

However many countries and groupings now require only an identity card – especially from their neighbours. Other countries may have special bilateral arrangements that depart from the generality of their passport validity length policies to shorten the period of passport validity required for each other's citizens[274][275] or even accept passports that have already expired (but not been cancelled).[276]

Some countries, such as Japan,[277] Ireland and the United Kingdom,[278] require a passport valid throughout the period of the intended stay.

In the absence of specific bilateral agreements, countries requiring passports to be valid for at least 6 more months on arrival include Afghanistan, Algeria, Anguilla, Bahrain,[279] Bhutan, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Curaçao, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel,[280] Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Peru,[281] Philippines,[282] Qatar, Rwanda, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Turkey, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu, Venezuela, and Vietnam.[283]

Countries requiring passports valid for at least 4 months on arrival include Micronesia and Zambia.

Countries requiring passports with a validity of at least 3 months beyond the date of intended departure include Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Honduras, Montenegro, Nauru, Moldova and New Zealand. Similarly, the EEA countries of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, all European Union countries (except Ireland) together with Switzerland also require 3 months validity beyond the date of the bearer's intended departure unless the bearer is an EEA or Swiss national.

Countries requiring passports valid for at least 3 months on arrival include Albania, North Macedonia, Panama, and Senegal.

Bermuda requires passports to be valid for at least 45 days upon entry.

Countries that require a passport validity of at least one month beyond the date of intended departure include Eritrea, Hong Kong, Lebanon, Macau, the Maldives[284] and South Africa.

Maximum passport age

Countries of the Schengen area require non-EU passports to be less than 10 years old upon entry.[285] A number of holders of British passports, which until September 2018 could be issued with a validity period of up to 10 years and nine months if the previous passport was not expired, were unable to travel to the EU subsequent to Brexit due to this restriction.[286]

Criminal record

Some countries, including Australia, Canada, Fiji, New Zealand and the United States,[287] routinely deny entry to non-citizens who have a criminal record, while others impose restrictions depending on the type of conviction and the length of the sentence.

Persona non grata

The government of a country can declare a diplomat persona non grata, banning them from entering the country or expelling them if they have already entered. In non-diplomatic use, the authorities of a country may also declare a foreigner persona non grata permanently or temporarily, usually because of unlawful activity.[288]

Israeli stamps

Kuwait,[289] Lebanon,[290] Libya,[291] and Yemen[292] do not allow entry to people with passport stamps from Israel or whose passports have either a used or an unused Israeli visa, or where there is evidence of previous travel to Israel such as entry or exit stamps from neighbouring border posts in transit countries such as Jordan and Egypt.

To circumvent this Arab League boycott of Israel, the Israeli immigration services have now mostly ceased to stamp foreign nationals' passports on either entry to or exit from Israel (unless the entry is for some work-related purposes). Since 15 January 2013, Israel no longer stamps foreign passports at Ben Gurion Airport. Passports are still (as of 22 June 2017) stamped at Erez when passing into and out of Gaza.[citation needed]

Iran refuses admission to holders of passports containing an Israeli visa or stamp that is less than 12 months old.

Biometrics

Several countries mandate that all travellers, or all foreign travellers, be fingerprinted on arrival and will refuse admission to or even arrest travellers who refuse to comply. In some countries, such as the United States, this may apply even to transit passengers who merely wish to change planes rather than go landside.[293]

Fingerprinting countries/regions include Afghanistan,[294][295] Argentina,[296] Brunei, Cambodia,[297] China,[298] Ethiopia,[299] Ghana, Guinea,[300] India, Japan,[301][302] Kenya (both fingerprints and a photo are taken),[303] Malaysia upon entry and departure,[304] Mongolia, Saudi Arabia,[305] Singapore, South Korea,[306] Taiwan, Thailand,[307] Uganda,[308] the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

Many countries also require a photo be taken of people entering the country. The United States, which does not fully implement exit control formalities at its land frontiers (although long mandated by its own legislation),[309][310][311] intends to implement facial recognition for passengers departing from international airports to identify people who overstay their visa.[312]

Together with fingerprint and face recognition, iris scanning is one of three biometric identification technologies internationally standardised since 2006 by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for use in e-passports[313] and the United Arab Emirates conducts iris scanning on visitors who need to apply for a visa.[314][315] The United States Department of Homeland Security has announced plans to greatly increase the biometric data it collects at US borders.[316] In 2018, Singapore began trials of iris scanning at three land and maritime immigration checkpoints.[317][318]

Foreign travel statistics

These are the numbers of mainland Chinese visitors to various countries or territories:

More information Destination, Number of visitors ...
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  1. Counting only guests in tourist accommodation establishments.
  2. Data for arrivals by air only.
  3. Including Hong Kong.
  4. Tourists only.
  5. Including Hong Kong and Macau.
  6. Data for arrivals by air only.
  7. Total number includes tourists, business people, students, exchange visitors, temporary workers and families, diplomats and other representatives and all other classes of non-immigrant admissions (I-94).

    See also

    References and notes

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